Thinking about switching to a MBP from Windows:

I know what you mean. If the MBA had a faster updated processor my decision would be much easier. Since posting this question, though, I am thinking I might just get the iPad 5 and see how that works for me. I might not need a computer as much as I thought I did.

Wife tried this...didn't work out at all for her. While she was able to do the most general stuff (email, internet browsing, etc), she was still not able to function in the iOS environment the way she was so ingrained to doing in OSX. She explained to me that it really just came down to an irritation with the extra steps that are required to do things on the iPad, for instance, adding attachments to emails...she got so used to dragging and dropping that the navigation of multiple menus to do the same thing was cumbersome (even if it was only a few seconds extra effort)...she also said that she couldn't get used to the more restrictive storage options on the tablet.

She still uses her iPad for A LOT on set...but she also carries her MBP because she couldn't live without it. I'm sure this isn't a road block that everyone would face, but hearing her explain it, on a very basic level, it seems most tablets are still just too far away from the functionality you get used to having a full fledged laptop at your disposal.

Wife tried this...didn't work out at all for her. While she was able to do the most general stuff (email, internet browsing, etc), she was still not able to function in the iOS environment the way she was so ingrained to doing in OSX. She explained to me that it really just came down to an irritation with the extra steps that are required to do things on the iPad, for instance, adding attachments to emails...she got so used to dragging and dropping that the navigation of multiple menus to do the same thing was cumbersome (even if it was only a few seconds extra effort)...she also said that she couldn't get used to the more restrictive storage options on the tablet.

She still uses her iPad for A LOT on set...but she also carries her MBP because she couldn't live without it. I'm sure this isn't a road block that everyone would face, but hearing her explain it, on a very basic level, it seems most tablets are still just too far away from the functionality you get used to having a full fledged laptop at your disposal.

Sean, thanks for your input here. Emails aren't an issue for me on my iPad Mini or iPhone 5S, which are currently all I'm using now. Also, I have a little more than 50GB of free space left on my Mini now and can't see myself needing more space than this. However, if I do, I think bumping up to the 128GB iPad would suffice... I'm going to watch the announcement of the new MBP and iPad's on Oct. 22nd before making any final decision, though.

I think a lot of that one depends on what you need the device for. I'm office based for the most part so I'm never too far away from a PC, although when I do go out and about I feel very limited with the iPad and phone. It's not that iPads are bad, I love mine and it's a great consumption device, but they're just that in my eyes, consumption. When it comes to typing lengthy emails or creating anything I like to have a proper computer to fall back on.

I had a business trip recently where I only took my iPad for 3 days, it was doable, and having certain apps like Citrix helped massively, but it still would have been easier with a proper laptop on hand.

That being said, outside of work I rarely *need* a full computer other than for games. Most things can be done in one way or another on other devices/platforms, just depends how long you want to spend doing it.

I switched to using Mac OS as my main computer about 10 or 11 years ago. The switch is not as hard and with these forums any questions you have lots of us are here to help. I use both Windows and Mac OS every day at work. There are things I like each of them for over the other. What I would say is you should think about all the applications that you use on the Windows side. The Mac OS doesn't have every little app you can find on Windows. So if all your applications are covered then you wont have little things you have to try and figure out how to get done. The Mac OS is great if you have iOS devices because of things like iCloud sync for Notes, Contacts, Reminders and things they are bringing in Mavericks like iBooks, Maps and Messages sync. It is awesome when you sit at your desk and you open the Messages app and anyone sending you iCloud messages you don't need to pull out your device each time a message comes in. You got great advice on maximizing the specs of the MBP because with most of the things soldered to the mainboard there is no upgradability later. Having 16GBs of RAM is great and will also future proof it more. They also hold their value more, I have sold three of my MBPs now for over $1000 which is almost up to half of the price of the new one. My advice on your new system when you get it is to buy an external hard drive and turn on Time Machine. Whether you leave it automically backing up or you do the backups manually believe me it saves you a lot of time. Time Machine is nothing like Windows backup it saves your programs, data, and settings independent of the OS. As an example I just received a new Retina MBP and during setup with my external hard drive connected there is an option to restore from a Time Machine drive. After about 2 hours my laptop was loaded with my software, settings and customizations up to the day before. It makes things so much easier if there is a hardware failure, new laptop, etc.

One thing I will definitely say is that you really cannot go wrong with a MacBook Pro. While I have a custom built desktop PC (running Windows 8) for the REALLY meaty stuff, I also use a MacBook Pro which I have BootCamped with OSX and Win8, and honestly, I love it. One thing I must credit Apple on is that the hardware-software synergy (even when on Windows 8) is FANTASTIC. My custom built desktop can throw a wobbly every now and then, it is near enough impossible for me to crash this Mac. I would say for the hardware quality alone, it is definitely worth it. If you're already using iOS (on an iPhone and/or iPad), then it really is a no-brainer. I love it despite the fact I use an Android tablet and smartphone.

Last night I was looking at all of the new MBP's listed on Apples website and as I picked each one to see what the cost would be in the end I was too confused by all the "extras" that I ended up ordering nothing yet.

I am trying to decide if the 13" screen is enough or would a 15" screen be better? The 13" screen would be a little cheaper, so I could put the saved dollars toward a Retina Mini..

This is the one that I think will be good for me now. However, do I really need the extras that they offer aside from the standard things that it includes? If so, which upgrade or change should I make to this order if I go through with it?

Is it necessary to get the Apple USB SuperDrive in the last screenshot, or can I do without it? Also, should I get the $300 Apple Care or is their a cheaper alternative?

As for the screen size, I guess there's no rule for this. I myself switched from a 15" PC (weighing a good 3.6kg + charger) to a 13.3" rMBP. The size is really convenient, although the UI scale can be bigger, but I love it.
What motivated me for 13" was I could take it in my backpack easily. It's absolutely a perfect size to keep it in your bag. 15" is too bulky for this and is more something you keep on the desk. And cheaper.
It doesn't come with discrete graphics as you probably noticed. Didn't make a difference for me, as I'm not playing on it. Although I may try X-Plane 10 with the new one!

Extras:
- Processor: I will let someone else answer for this, I'm not a professionnal with processors. With the 13", I sticked with the 2.6GHz (dual-core) instead of jumping on the 2.8GHz.
I told myself that pros who *really* needed the most power would get the upper one. I'm just using my computer for daily routine and not video/image editing/processing. So I'm ok with the 2.6GHz one!

- RAM: I first took 8GB, then hesitated... After thinking, I cancelled my order and took the 16GB RAM instead, as I'll be often virtualizing Windows with Parallels (Atmel Studio 6, Quartus... sigh).
It really depends on your use here. I took 16GB for future-proofing and virtualization. 8GB is *enough* for common usage. Really, it is! Especially with the new Mavericks system to compress idling RAM, it'll be even more efficient.
That's up to you, tell us what you'll be using your computer for, and not only as of today!

- Storage: Same, it has to be adjusted to your usage. I owned a rMBP with 128GB SSD. That's not a lot. Parcimony made it that today, I'm only using half of it. But I have my iTunes collection (movies & songs) and my iPhoto collections on an external Hard Drive.
Storage will not be eaten up by apps in my opinion, but by your content (movies). It starts here at 256GB which is very good. My only limitation I found on the 128GB was "What if I wanna install Parallels + Windows (for my stuff mentioned above)? It'd take around 20-30GB!"
But on a 256GB drive, I don't think that's an issue.
Again for storage, tell us what you're planning to store on your computer!
Please note as well that a very convenient solution for mass storage (movies... again) is, for example, an AirPort Extreme with your HDD on it. Yet I'm disappointed it's still having USB 2...

Finally, the SuperDrive. I bought it to rip all my DVDs I'm buying (yeah, I'm not 100% digital yet...) to get them onto the iPad.
And to install X-Plane 10. That's the only usage I can think about.

Here's my take. The cheaper price of the 13" is something to seriously consider. Prior to the retina versions, you truly did have to choose based on screen resolution - 1280 x 800 was, IMHO, too small of a screen. But with the retina screen, your resolution is bumped up to 2560 x 1600... so the matter, as I see it, is one of physical size only. I could definitely live with the 13" MBP with the smaller footprint, as long as I am not really sacrificing screen resolution.

As far as upgrades go, you should definitely max out the RAM if for no other reason than that it’s soldered in and cannot be upgraded later. As far as storage, I’d recommend at least 512GB... I have heard of third party vendors working on replacement SSDs for the rMBP... and I know that there were some for the earlier versions of the MacBook Air... not sure how viable (or how close to available) they are... and I have also heard conflicting reports that the SSD is/is not also soldered into the rMBP... so if it was me, I’d go with the 512GB SSD and add an external drive if I needed more down the road. (I actually did the 768gb SSD in my 15" rMBP).

The CPU question is no different than any other computer purchase. Decide what you think you’ll need and then kick it up a step or two to future proof the device.

Regarding the AppleCare - I did it with my rMBP. Generally I don’t purchase the extended warranties, but since I got the first generation rMBP, and have seen the iFixit repair-ability ratings, I though it was a wise move.

For the external Superdrive - I’d pass on that and pick up something cheaper. Sure, the brushed aluminum looks great, but I truly don’t use a CD/DVD more than 3 or 4 times a year... so I grabbed a cheap ($25) external drive at Staples and called it good.

I'm in the same boat switching from windows. To me it comes down to dual core vs quad core..not so much 13" vs 15". I feel like there's more value in quad core for not much more money (at first). I'd also like at least 8gb of RAM and at least half a TB of storage.

But Apple is going to make me spend more if I want a discrete video card. This has me thinking look at refurbs and not worry about Haswell.

So bottom line, if i get a 13" dual core, I'd probably want 8gb RAM, Haswell, and 512gb SSD. I think 16gb RAM is wasted on this one as dual core will probably be the bottleneck on speed.

If I get the 15" one, I probably would want the 2599 version, and after adding applecare, it approaches 3k. I bought a gaming Dell xps laptop for over 3k years ago and regretted it. I'm not sure I want to spend that much on one again.

I think I'll wait for extensive reviews but I'm leaning toward the 13". There's no rush. In the meantime, I'll grab a verizon retina Mini next month.

Thanks for all the helpful info that you guys have supplied me with as it has been a huge help in narrowing down my choices. I have it down to the following 2 MBP's. I picked 2.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and Apple Care. It looks like it would be a difference of $600 between the 2 with a student discount.
The main difference that I noticed between these two aside from the screen size is that the 13" MBP is Dual Core i5, while the 15" MBP is Quad Core i7... Will the 13" MBP run just as well with the Dual Core processor? Or is it worth it to get the Quad Core processor?
One last question; is 2.3GHz enough? This would save me $180 over the 2.6 added option....

Thanks for all the helpful info that you guys have supplied me with as it has been a huge help in narrowing down my choices. I have it down to the following 2 MBP's. I picked 2.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and Apple Care. It looks like it would be a difference of $600 between the 2 with a student discount.
The main difference that I noticed between these two aside from the screen size is that the 13" MBP is Dual Core i5, while the 15" MBP is Quad Core i7... Will the 13" MBP run just as well with the Dual Core processor? Or is it worth it to get the Quad Core processor?
One last question; is 2.3GHz enough? This would save me $180 over the 2.6 added option....

Dual core/quad core.. it really comes down to what you are going to be doing with it. I did a quick review of this thread and didn't' see that list... so I guess the questions that I have are:

What will you be using this computer for? If we’re talking about web surfing, school papers, email and similar, the dual core i5 is plenty. But if you are going to be rendering high def video, that’s a completely different matter.

Also, how long to you plan to keep/use this computer? I would suspect that this is a long-term proposition... and as such, I would suggest beefing the system up as much as you can reasonably and comfortably afford. I have a 2009 MacBook that still runs fine - even with OS X Mavericks, it’s fine for day to day stuff - light photo editing, web surfing, email, etc... but again, it pretty much chokes out with iMovie rendering 1080p video.

The Mac hardware will serve you well, and the evolution of OS X is still in process, so I can say with confidence that either machine that you have spec'ed out will be a good investment. But think about the future. If you can spend an extra $200 today and get something that will still handle the taxing tasks in 3-4 years, that, to me, would seem like a wise investment.

Take a good look at your financial position, and decide whether it makes enough sense to you to kick in a bit extra to protect you down the road. And either answer ('yes' or 'no') is fine, based on your situation... but at least consider it.

Dual core/quad core.. it really comes down to what you are going to be doing with it. I did a quick review of this thread and didn't' see that list... so I guess the questions that I have are:

What will you be using this computer for? If we’re talking about web surfing, school papers, email and similar, the dual core i5 is plenty. But if you are going to be rendering high def video, that’s a completely different matter.

Also, how long to you plan to keep/use this computer? I would suspect that this is a long-term proposition... and as such, I would suggest beefing the system up as much as you can reasonably and comfortably afford. I have a 2009 MacBook that still runs fine - even with OS X Mavericks, it’s fine for day to day stuff - light photo editing, web surfing, email, etc... but again, it pretty much chokes out with iMovie rendering 1080p video.

The Mac hardware will serve you well, and the evolution of OS X is still in process, so I can say with confidence that either machine that you have spec'ed out will be a good investment. But think about the future. If you can spend an extra $200 today and get something that will still handle the taxing tasks in 3-4 years, that, to me, would seem like a wise investment.

Take a good look at your financial position, and decide whether it makes enough sense to you to kick in a bit extra to protect you down the road. And either answer ('yes' or 'no') is fine, based on your situation... but at least consider it.

Most of my computing will be web surfing, storing and printing pictures, storing videos of the kids, and emailing. I think that's about it. I do watch YouTube videos, but I don't save any of them. I do plan on keeping my computer long term. I have always kept my Dells for as long as they were trouble free which is about 6 years for 3 of them so far. I would hope that a MBP costing over half the amount of money that I paid for my Dell's would last as least that long..... You mentioned that you would suggest "beefing the system up" as much as you can . Would you add something to that 15" MBP that I have in that screenshot, or are the specs that I listed above good enough for long term use?

Most of my computing will be web surfing, storing and printing pictures, storing videos of the kids, and emailing. I think that's about it. I do watch YouTube videos, but I don't save any of them. I do plan on keeping my computer long term. I have always kept my Dells for as long as they were trouble free which is about 6 years for 3 of them so far. I would hope that a MBP costing over half the amount of money that I paid for my Dell's would last as least that long..... You mentioned that you would suggest "beefing the system up" as much as you can . Would you add something to that 15" MBP that I have in that screenshot, or are the specs that I listed above good enough for long term use?

Thanks for your continued help and answering my questions.

Originally Posted by Irish Rose

The 13" MBP that I listed comes standard with 8GB of RAM, however, based on what I was told in this thread, I added 16GB of RAM as an option. With the 17" MBP, 16GB is standard.

For the uses that you listed, both would work for now and for quite a while. The 15" rMBP is a nicely spec'ed machine, and one that should last you a long time.

I get a little uneasy spending other people's money and telling them what they need... but since there’s no option to go back and add memory, I would still bump the 13" rMBP to 16gb... it will definitely be overkill for now, but you never know where life will take you.

As far as answering the questions, that’s what we’re here for. Continue to ask until you are satisfied with your choice...

And I made an assumption that you meant the 15" rMBP when you said 17" being stock with 16gb - the high end 15" rMBP is 16gb RAM standard.

For the uses that you listed, both would work for now and for quite a while. The 15" rMBP is a nicely spec'ed machine, and one that should last you a long time.

I get a little uneasy spending other people's money and telling them what they need... but since theres no option to go back and add memory, I would still bump the 13" rMBP to 16gb... it will definitely be overkill for now, but you never know where life will take you.

As far as answering the questions, thats what were here for. Continue to ask until you are satisfied with your choice...

And I made an assumption that you meant the 15" rMBP when you said 17" being stock with 16gb - the high end 15" rMBP is 16gb RAM standard.

Oops, yes I did mean 15". I would definitely go with the 16GB add on for the 13" model if that is what I end up getting. I like the 13" model as it would be a little cheaper and still allow for the new Retina Mini when it comes out. Only thing I'm still stuck on is whether the dual core processor will last long term as the quad core would. I've read a lot of posts from people on other forums who all say dual core is fine, while others insist on going quad core. I really wish they offered the quad core as an option on the 13" model as my decision would be a lot easier.

Oops, yes I did mean 15". I would definitely go with the 16GB add on for the 13" model if that is what I end up getting. I like the 13" model as it would be a little cheaper and still allow for the new Retina Mini when it comes out. Only thing I'm still stuck on is whether the dual core processor will last long term as the quad core would. I've read a lot of posts from people on other forums who all say dual core is fine, while others insist on going quad core. I really wish they offered the quad core as an option on the 13" model as my decision would be a lot easier.

Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk Pro.

For the uses you listed above dual core would be fine. If you're just storing video and photos and not doing a lot of editing (some would be ok), you won't have any issues with the dual core.